Half A Year In Portland

Time really does fly when you get older. I’d be getting back from Australia two years ago around this time, getting ready to return to Drexel again. But those days have passed. I’ve moved from the East Coast to stay this time, and I think I’ve finally become settled in in Portland. I say that of course as I still have boxes sitting on the floor to get sorted though…

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Time again for the semi-annual haircut.

I’ve even become working Tuesdays through Saturdays. It’s a schedule I don’t mind actually. Saturdays are rather quiet and I have the start of the week as the end of my weekend, which makes for plenty of places empty at the right times during the day. I’ve been at Kroger for nearly three months now and thankfully the ever-changing world of retail means I never know what to expect when I work in the door. And for once, I really mean it. There are no routine days in my position, and I really love that. Even a piece of equipment I’ve worked on hundreds of times before can still surprise me.

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My other “usual” station now.

As for family things, I think my parents and I have become used to having a long distance relationship for real this time. Mom is still fighting through cancer, but things seem to be going well, so we’re all hopeful in that regard. My brother (and yes, I have one) will be off to the Marines if he doesn’t flunk out of his last year in high school. Hopefully it will hammer some sense in to him, because he sure as hell needs it.

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Pretty much what I mean.

If I have one regret after all this time in Portland though, it’s that I still haven’t really explored it. I knew far more of Philly and Melbourne in six months than I do of Portland. The local beers and whatnot are still foreign to me – I’m still hunting for Yuengling. Having a TriMet pass now does mean I can go beyond Streetcar’s coverage area, and that has helped me get out of the house more. Still haven’t visited Portland’s art museum, but I have a membership to the Japanese Gardens now. My first visit to them was a poorly planned one that turned in to an hour-long hike through Washington Park, and I’m glad it did. It’s rather nice having a beautiful park a short train ride away that unlike Philly’s Fairmount, is actually safe.

Accidental hike through the park I survived. Five minutes away: Portland City Center.
Accidental hike through the park I survived. Five minutes away: Portland City Center.

There are things from Philly and home I still miss. SEPTA, Indego, and the art museum are some of the things I still miss from Philly. My two cats are the things I miss from home, besides family of course. The two nut jobs apparently having changed much though.

Said two nut jobs.
Said two nut jobs.

So, it may have taken six months, but I think I can call Portland home now. There’s still plenty of Portland I haven’t seen though, but I should have time for that eventually. I certainly wouldn’t mind a trip back to Philly at some point, but I do think I owe Melbourne one first, granted it would be far more expensive. After having moved around for so many years in a row, it is still a bit weird to have actually settled in somewhere. After all, I haven’t done that in about five-and-a-half years now.

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Don’t…